


Friends With Benefits

by the_mythologist



Series: Batboys in Love [2]
Category: DCU
Genre: Also less swearing but hey this is Tim, Batman would still not approve, Boys in love part II, Kon breaks a door, Multi, Slight ex-Robin club bro time, Slightly less explicit than the first one but a lot of emotions, Tim thinks really really hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-09 12:43:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4349240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_mythologist/pseuds/the_mythologist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim puts his education to good use, and Kon reaps the benefits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't obvious, I am decently aware of the large arcs and character archetypes of the DC universe, but not always the actual plotlines. Especially for new 52. I think what I do/choose to include is fairly intuitive, but just drop me a line if you have any questions! (When in doubt, assume pre new 52 rules apply). 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I know I promised some Ex Robin Bro Club Time, but the big old Red Hood may have gotten a bit tied up in chapter 3. I know. He’s my favorite too, but he just didn’t make it in this time.  
> He’s in the next one though. Like woah. This I promise. 
> 
>  
> 
> Takes place roughly 3 years after An Appropriate Language.
> 
> Who the heck knows how old people are supposed to be anymore, so here is my take:  
> Dick - 26  
> Jason - 21  
> Tim - 19  
> Kon - 19  
> Stephanie - 20  
> Damian - 14

**Prologue**

 

He was doing it again, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It was as if all his hard earned, Bat trained discipline melted away in the face of this particular adversity. Of course, others might not use that term. But when it came to his sexual proclivities, Tim Drake could think of no other word.

He stroked himself slowly, trying to keep his thoughts level, even. Trying to just feel, take in every step of the slowly-building pleasure. He had even used some lubricant this time, just to give himself that added slickness. Yet images started flashing against the backs of his eyelids, startling him into a faster rhythm. The stretch of broad shoulders, filling out a dark brown leather jacket; strong thighs digging into the band of a holster. Dark dyed curls, with a shock of white -

Tim breathed deeply, yet couldn’t bring himself to stop touching himself. Jason was easy to think about, with his blatant sexuality, good looks, and challenging stance. He was also the one who had shown Tim it was ok to be different - he wore his bisexuality like a badge, and it did not detract from how deadly and terrifying the Red Hood could be. Not to mention that he’d seen the man in action - not just from the recording when they’d taken down the dock mob boss at the brothel, but in his subsequent make up sex with Dick as well.

Yeah, and that was the next logical step. Thinking about them together, kissing and touching; muscular, masculine bodies such an unexpectedly perfect fit. Tim quietly groaned. Aspects of it had been so close to sparring, yet the truly powerful moments were of Jason’s vulnerability and Dick’s readiness to give him everything…

Tim breathed deeply again and grit his teeth. No, now was not the time for romance. He had to get his head off of his older brothers, no matter how attractive they were. Desperately, closer than he’d like to release, he cast about for someone else. Stephanie. Big blue eyes, well formed body - Damian called her fatgirl, but her curves were enticing, weren’t they?

Oh, but not as enticing as Roy’s strong arms and slow smile, or the purr of Jaime’s accent. Yeah, Jaime was hot, with his big dark eyes...or oh god, Wally, maybe. Sometimes he seemed so carefree but those moments when he got serious…? Yeah, red hair was hot. Speedsters were hot. All the possibilities - how much control did Bart have over his speed and vibration, exactly?

No, no. Back to Stephanie. Tim hissed through his teeth as his mind sidetracked once more. He was getting very close indeed, and heat was thrumming through his body, pooling at his base. His cock was slick with pre-cum, but that was nothing new. His was a weeper, Stephanie had informed him once just before she knelt to take him in her mouth. Yeah, this memory was good. She had looked up at him then, and there had been something in her eyes that had allowed him to come, even when it was so hard to all the other times.

Tim’s breath hitched and his hand sped up. So close, he was so close. The memory wavered. It had been a trick of the light - for a moment her eyes had seemed so endlessly, vibrantly blue, and it had reminded him of eyes just a shade more intense, and he had come so fucking hard-

Tim thought of them now, of alien eyes and perfect understanding, and his orgasm was sudden and violent. He swallowed down his groan as he pumped himself through the aftershocks, allowing himself to reflect on the image that had spurred his orgasm only until his climax cessated. Then he lay back on his bed, blindly reaching for a tissue to clean his cum-slick hand.

Then, like clockwork, he despised himself. Despite his best intentions, he’d thought of him _again._ And it was at the most powerful moment, too! No matter how hard he tried to think of others, it would always be him at the end, wouldn’t it!

No, he couldn’t allow himself to think that way. That was defeating himself. It was just the color of his eyes, Tim reasoned, or that _he_ beyond all others was forbidden. That was all it was. Really.

_Really._

 


	2. Part I

**Part I**

 

Tim was not the biggest fan of bars. They were far too loud, too crowded, the bathrooms were never clean and the drinks were always overpriced. Yet it was Stephanie’s 20th birthday, and thus here they were, drinking away in the Hostage. Tim had hoped Bruce might put a kibosh on part of Stephanie’s big birthday plans, but Bruce had thrown them all for a loop. _There are rumors of some drug trafficking going on below ground - the Hostage may be acting as a front. It might be a good idea to go in and check it out. Feel free to act discreetly on anything you find._

When reminded that not one of them was actually legal to drink, Bruce had just smirked. _If not there, you’d all be doing it elsewhere. Use your fake ID’s. Don’t get caught. Find a way into the drug ring, if there is one._

Blatant favoritism aside - Tim’s 19th birthday was celebrated by getting his wisdom teeth removed - there was also the matter of the guest list. This was a hero only party, Stephanie had decided, yet the Batfamily itself was sadly underrepresented. Damian was too young even for Bruce to let out, and Dick was in Bludhaven again, closing in on someone who styled themselves as Blockbuster Jr. Terrible naming aside, he was enough to keep the man out of Gotham for the night. Cassie had pulled patrol duty, but Stephanie had already promised to meet up with her later, when she and Barbara had their own secret batgirl party. Jason, unsurprisingly, hadn’t answered Stephanie’s text, but had been noncommittal when Tim had sent him one of his own. _Think about it._

Tim smiled to remember it. While it had been three words long and syntactically incorrect at least Jason had _answered_ his.

“Hey dudes, this is super crash. Like, the most crash. Ok, it’s only middling crash but that is slightly more crash than Tim’s birthday. Or _my_ birthday. This is probably because we are not sexyfine young ladies like Miss Stephanie or Cass _awn_ dra over here, but not for lack of trying, let me tell you. I mean, look at Tim’s hair. Look at _my_ hair. Takes some doing, I will admit. Now, now. Let me buy you a drink. Depending on how fast you drink it, I will buy you _several.”_

Fortified by two beers and shots of whisky to match, Tim could fondly roll his eyes at his old speedster. Stephanie had met several of his old Titan teammates over the last year, and had unsurprisingly hit it off. Bart went without saying, as he was flighty and charming and Stephanie was sensical and charming, but the real surprise was how well Steph and _Cassie_ had hit it off. Truthfully, the two of them together were kind of horrifying, as he and Kon had agreed on more than once. It stood to reason: they were two of the most terrifying and powerful women he knew, barring Black Bat, Supergirl, and Oracle. That they were all together now under the same roof was either going to be epic, awful, or an endearing mixture of the two.

“Hey, you. Give the birthday girl some time to breathe! Honestly, Bart - make yourself useful and grab us some beers, ok?” Cassie leaned over and playfully flicked Bart directly between the eyes. He winced, pretending to fly backwards and Stephanie found this all impossibly funny. Steph was on her fifth shot of whisky - they’d all bought her a round or two - and Tim knew he’d probably have to start looking after her soon. It was why he’d switched to beer. He wanted to be somewhat responsible for when the shit hit the fan. It was a role he was invariably good at playing.

He took a sip of beer as Cassie and Steph leaned in and giggled about something, and allowed himself one more truth. He wasn’t pacing himself just to be responsible. There was also the matter of his powerful, lingering attraction to-

“Hey, buddy. What’d I miss?” Kon settled in next to him, leaning in a little closer than usual to make do with the limited space. He had heard a shout several minutes ago, and had taken off before Tim could remind him he wasn’t supposed to operate in Gotham. Now, Tim merely raised an eyebrow in admonition.

“Oh, not the _eyebrow._ C’mon, I was barely gone five minutes! And it was a simple mugging. No harm no foul. I wore my ski mask and everything!”

Tim held the look a moment longer before he took another sip to hide his small smile. Kon was just so cute sometimes. He was one of the most powerful being in the universe, yet he still reined himself in for his friends’ displeasure. Although cute might not be the word. Mind numbingly handsome would be a bit closer. Devastatingly attractive, at the very least. By all account the bane of Tim’s common sense and sexless existence. All terms worked, and all contributed to the reason that he had to stay sober.

It all boiled down to his terrible, ill-advised, yet unshakable crush on Kon.

Kon glanced down and Tim’s stomach swooped. “You know, we’ve been tight for a long time now, but I still can’t read your freaky bat smiles. I mean I guess I’ll get there someday, but your mind is still a mystery to me, so feel free to share whenever, man. No rush. I’m only standing here staring at you.”

Tim smirked. “You could go grab yourself a drink, you know. It’s certainly not going to hurt you. Besides, if the girls see your hands free they may see it is a challenge.”

Kon smiled and Tim’s stomach stopped swooping to tighten in response. “Well _someone_ has to be responsible. I’m actually a little surprised it’s not you - although I suppose if Stephanie ordered you to drink…? He trailed off and glanced over at the girls, who were laughing at something Bart said. With a quick glance to make sure Tim and Kon are watching, Bart leaned in and kissed them both on the nose. This made Stephanie laugh even harder - yep, she’s full on wasted now, and he’s going to have quite the time getting her back to Bab’s place - but Cassie grabbed Bart and pulled him in for a fake noogie.

Tim couldn’t help but smile. There’s something so wonderfully normal about all of this, and when you’re faced with both human, magical, and alien bad guys on a regular basis, it did your heart good to have a moment of simple fun.

“So...that’s cool then?” Kon’s looked down at him with a complicated expression on his face, but Tim was too relaxed to parse it.

“Hmm?” There’s that eyebrow again. It’s practically a reflex at this point, and Kon’s fond exasperation becomes recognizable as his eyes tracked its movement.

“You know, Bart. Flirting. With both of them.”

Tim glanced back over at his friends and realized that Bart was sandwiched between Cassie and Stephanie, both of whom were either playing with his hair, or spilling their drinks into it. Either way, Bart looked delighted. Tim couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Unless they full on traumatize him, I say we leave them be. They might try doing that to _us.”_

Kon smiled weakly. “Yeah, but is it ok to watch Steph with another guy? Even if it’s just Bart?”

Tim finally understood. “Is this about you and Cassie? ‘Cuz Steph and I haven’t been a thing for a long time, Kon. And we’re both pretty ok with that.”

“No. It’s about - you know what, I don’t know what it’s about. Clearly I’m rambling. Oh wow. Where’d the glitter come from?”

Glitter indeed. Bart was somehow covered in it, and by Stephanie’s devious expression it could only have been her. Perhaps she wasn’t as wasted as Tim had thought? Either way, the evening was only getting more promising. Yet now Tim had to deal with the fact that he knew exactly what Bart Allen looked like when covered in glitter, and the slow, slinking feeling in his stomach when he realized he kind of liked it. He kind of liked it _a lot_. There was glitter on Cassie too, and a bit on Steph but they had nothing on Bart, who with his windblow auburn hair and long, lanky limbs was practically obscene.

Tim knew what Kon had meant, of course. There were lingering feelings for any partner, and seeing them close to someone else could hurt. But Kon didn’t know - could never know - that of the three of them, it was Bart that drew his attention. Not that he had anything on Kon, but thankfully _Kon_ wasn’t the one in between them covered in glitter. If he were...well. Tim would no longer be in the bar, for one. “The glitter? Stephanie, I’m guessing.” He glanced up at his friend and smiled naturally, hoping that he wasn’t communicating his feelings with his eyes. “Women like her are devious, Kon. It’s a good thing I’m now safe. Also, that we’re out of glitter radius.”

Kon’s eyes dropped when he had said the word safe. Did that mean something? Nah, he was probably hearing something in Brazil, again. Oh, wait, he was an idiot. Kon and Cassie weren’t actually back together, were they? Oh crap. He’d gone and stepped on a landmine, hadn’t he? He tried to backtrack. “Hey, but if you were thinking about getting back with Cassie, I could definitely go and distract Bart and Stephanie, glitter or no glitter. Ok, maybe the glitter is a bit too much. But I would make an attempt.”

Kon laughed in a little huff as he glanced back up, and for a moment his eyes were so electric that Tim couldn’t breathe. “It’s cool, man. They’re all having fun. As long as you’re good with it, I’m good with it. Besides, we haven’t had a bros night in a while...and it looks like that may be where this is heading.”

Kon nodded at the threesome again, but Tim never saw what it was he was referring to as his gaze caught on something else instead. First it was a fiery shock of red hair against orange skin, and then there was a pale man beside her, wearing the exact same baseball cap he wore every day whether in or out of costume. Jason had argued that the hat _was_ the Roy’s costume, although Roy had been quick to point out that not all could wear red condoms on their face as well as Jay could. Tim privately agreed, but at least the two of them _had_ a costume. Koriand’r barely even had _clothes_ most of the time _._

And now there was Jason, looking dangerous and handsome all at once. It was so rare to see him dressed casually, although since he’d begun to secretly date Dick (or whatever it was they were doing. Dick called it converting with cuddles and Jason only winced, but that it was more serious than _either_ of them would admit to was obvious) it had become slightly less so. Yet they were here, and Tim couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his face. They _had_ come. Stephanie was going to be over the moon. Hell, _Tim_ was practically over the moon, and that meant he needed to stop drinking right now. Two beers and two shots should not get him this relaxed, and if Jason saw how happy he was to see him, he’d tease him for a calendar year.

The two teams converged, and Stephanie threw herself off the barstool and into Jason’s arms. While Cassie and Bart watched wide-eyed, Jason laughed a little as he ruffled her hair. Roy leaned in to make a snarky comment as Stephanie transferred her hug to Koriand’r, who took the embrace far more gracefully than Jason had. Tim took a step closer but Kon’s iron grip on his arm held him back.

“Ok, what’s going on? That’s-” his voice dropped and spoke so quietly that Tim had to resort to reading lips to follow him. “ _Starfire, and Arsenal...and that last guy has_ got _to be the Red Hood.”_ He spoke in a normal tone again, eyes blazing. “What the hell are they doing here? And why is Stephanie _hugging_ them?”

This was probably not the right moment to explain Jason’s background, but Kon seemed seriously upset. Tim reached for the hand holding him in place and squeezed it reassuringly. There was a breathless moment when he imagined entwining their fingers, but he held himself back.

“It’s ok. I’ll explain later. He’s...family. A little estranged, but he and I are pretty good now, and he’s always been good with Cass and Steph.” And then, when it became obvious that Kon still didn’t like this situation one bit, “I trust him, Kon. At least socially. Anyway, we _invited_ him.”

Something flickered across Kon’s face at that but Tim pulled past him and rejoined the rest of the group. The groups had intermingled by this point, and Tim found it easiest to sidle up to Jason while Bart, Cassie, Stephanie and finally Koriand’r ordered Roy to buy them all drinks. Jason glanced down just as Tim stepped next to him and casually lay an arm around his shoulder.

Even though it was just an absentminded, brotherly touch, Tim’s heartbeat increased. His attraction to Jason was as manageable as his attraction to Bart, but it didn’t mean it was nonexistent, especially when he had a beer or two in his system. He’d deny the sudden flush on his cheeks until his dying day, however.

“Hey there, ‘Placement. Steph. How’s the party going?”

Stephanie smiled up at him, and it was the wide, innocent joy of the inebriated. “Jason! I can’t believe you came!”

Tim felt Jason’s repressed laughter like little electric shocks to his system. “Oh you baby birds. You’re both too young to be drinking, you know.”

Stephanie’s expression turned a touch sly, and Tim wondered once again just how out of control she really was. “Wow, that’s exactly what Dick said when I told him about the party...he got all worried for us. I’m sure he’d feel better if he knew you agreed!”

Jason scowled. “Oh fuck that. No way I’m agreeing with Dickie on _that._ Now I’m getting you hammered.”

She turned to Tim and winked before mouthing _mission accomplished._ Tim winked back, although he felt a bit juvenile in doing so.

Jason watched her totter off before turning back to Tim. “So now that I’ve ensured her ruin, on a drunk scale from one to Her Royal Highness, where’s our little Steph falling?”

Tim grinned. “Probably about God Save the Queen. Nothing we can’t handle though. And it _is_ her birthday.”

Jason smirked as he watched Roy buckle under the henpecking teens, looking to Koriand’r to save him. “There is that. Oh, yeah - Dick sends his love and all that, but I’m sure he’ll send her some texts with dancing icons, or whatever. I don’t get him. Does he send those to you? Does he have nothing better to do with his life?”

Tim wondered at the odd look on Jason’s face. “Yeah, sometimes. Which ones does he send you?”

Jason shrugged and suddenly looked mildly uncomfortable. He also removed his arm from Tim’s shoulders to grab for the beer that Roy thrust at him from behind Cassie’s back. “Ahh. I don’t know. Cats or whatever. Forget I said anything.” He took a sip yet before Tim could pump him for more information about Dick’s incriminating texts, Jason continued. “So interesting guest list, huh? I can place some guesses as to identities, but I can’t quite figure out why your speedster is covered in glitter. More importantly, have I done something personally to Supes, or is that just his way of saying hello?”

Tim was halfway through explaining Stephanie’s college-born obsession with glitter when he realized what else Jason had said. “Wait, what? He -” He turned around but Kon was gone. He turned back to Jason who watched him with a calculating expression on his face.

“Um. This may be a dumb question, but did you see where he went?”

Jason watched him for a moment longer, as if deciding something. Then he nodded his head in the direction of the exit. “Go figure your friend out, Placers. I’ll keep Kori and Roy from causing a scene, and also making out with all your friends. Not that they’re a bad experience, by any means. Not that I personally know. Don’t tell Dick.”

“I heard nothing, but my memory might be jogged if you guys ever break up. Thanks, Jason.”

His older brother figure merely raised his hand in goodbye before turning back to the group just as Roy turned to Steph and announced, “Naughty stories? Ooh, I’ve got one. Let me tell you about the time I learned that Tamaraneans have three nipples!”

Tim coughed as he exited the bar, morbidly curious as to how _that_ story would go. Yet finding Kon was more important, especially if he was about to do something drastic. He’d been funny for most of the night, barring the hostility when Jason arrived...had something happened between Red Hood and Superboy that Tim hadn’t know about? That was unacceptable. Tim had worked hard to earn the reputation of knowing everything, and something like this couldn’t slip through the cracks!

Tim walked a block or two a little more fluidly than he would normally, quietly calling for Kon under his breath as he did. Yet it was only when he was alone on a street that Kon made his presence known. One moment Tim was underneath a street lamp, wondering whether or not it was better just to call him on his phone and the next he was hurtling through the air. There was a breathless moment of wind tearing at his cheeks and hair, and had there not been a rock hard body holding him up, he may have succumbed to the nausea that swept through him.

Then he was gently placed on the rooftop and his kidnapper landed several feet away from him. Tim would have been relieved to see that he had finally found Kon if not for the murderous expression on his face.

“What the hell, Kon? Someone could have seen!”

Kon shook his head mutinously. “What do you take me for, Tim? No one saw. I’m not an amateur.” He bristled and looked to the side. Tim was struck by the repressed energy wracking his frame. He was struck further when Kon opened his mouth as if to say something further, but then shut it with an audible click.

Tim’s eyes narrowed. Kon was a lot of things, but never incoherent with...whatever this was. It wasn’t anything positive - so far as Tim could tell - yet neither were his eyes glowing red...so red kryptonite was out, at least. But what else could have him vibrating like that?

Tim had to blink rapidly to shove down a guilty quiver of pleasure at having thought of Kon and vibrate in the same sentence. Ok, he had been horny as hell all night - he needed to get laid. Or, barring that, at least find someone handsome and make out with him on a dance floor. Tim was still a virgin and didn’t feel too comfortable with much more than that, but he was still a sexually aware being and needed _something._ Especially if his unfulfilled desires for his best friend continued wreaking such havoc in his brain.

He shoved down his conflicting thoughts. “Kon, what’s wrong? Is this about Hood? You’ve been off for most of the night.”

“It - I…” Kon trailed off before running both hands through his hair in frustration. “ _Tim.”_

Now Tim was beginning to be really worried, even through the pleasant alcoholic haze. “Kon, I don’t get it, what’s wrong?” And then, with a belated flash of insight, “Is it me? Am I what's wrong?”

“Yes! No! Yes. Damn it, Tim.” Kon strode over and gripped Tim by his biceps. “Look at me,” he began, as if Tim wasn’t staring up at him already. “Look at me, and tell me the truth. Do you have a thing for the Red Hood?”

Tim froze. Out of all the things he had expected that was not one of them, and he couldn’t help his body’s natural reaction. His poker face was nigh unassailable, but his sudden stillness and his heartbeat’s increase was not.

Kon’s eyes widened and before Tim could explain he pulled his hands away and swore. “Oh god _damnit.”_

Tim’s stomach fell. He had thought through similar scenarios before, and even practiced what he’d say on the day he finally came out to his friends. Yet he’d never worried about telling Kon. The fact that Kon’s first reaction to Tim’s homosexuality was negative made Tim eye the edge of the roof longingly and wonder if there was any way he could hit the bottom without Kon catching him first. _Goodbye, Gotham. I was an idiot in more ways than one._

“He’s a villain, Tim! How can you - man, we _promised_ this! No falling for bad guys, no matter how hot you think they are. Remember? What happened to that?”

Wait a minute. Was _that_ what he was reacting to? Tim blinked and cleared his throat. “Kon, first of all, that was something you promised with Bart. Secondly, Jason isn’t a _villain_ villain. He’s more of an anti-hero. Thirdly-”

Kon was still facing the opposite direction but turned his head to the side to respond. “Same difference, Tim. I’ve heard about the Red Hood, and I know that he’s still bad news. And you’re all starry-eyed over him!”

Ok, now Tim was starting to get angry. Just what the actual hell was Kon’s deal? “ _Thirdly,_ I do not have a _thing_ for Jason. I’m attracted to him, sure, because he’s attractive. But he’s also my _brother._ He’s also seeing...someone, and I support them. So no, Kon. It’s not that I have a crush on a nebulously aligned vigilante. It’s just that I like men. Is that a problem?”

And now it was out. Silence reigned over the rooftop, and Tim tried his best not to wince. It was made slightly easier by Kon’s expression, which hadn’t wavered an iota from the anger before Tim’s confession.

Then Kon’s eyes narrowed, like he was deciphering a particularly knotty puzzle. “I don’t - what, so you _only_ like guys? Is that why your relationships always tank? And that's why you like Jason?”

Was Kon usually this slow? Tim didn’t think so, but he could be wrong. “You dick, my relationships don't _tank._ And no, I don’t like Jason. But yeah. I only...I only like guys.”

Kon’s eyes narrowed further, and Tim could feel his stress levels rising even before he spoke. “So...the reason you like villains is because you like guys?”

Oh for the love of Alfred’s homemade cherry pie. “No, Kon. I like guys because I find them infinitely more attractive than women, ok? It’s just the way it is. I _do not_ have a crush on Jason, but even if I did it would have nothing to do with what he does, just what he looks like. I don’t see what is so hard about this.”

Kon’s brow cleared, and it was clear he was undergoing some sort of epiphany. Tim couldn’t tell how he felt about the realization, however, as other than a growing sense of wonder his face was glacially neutral. It did nothing for Tim’s mounting panic. “So it has nothing to do with their alignment, then. You just are attracted to guys.”

“Yes.” Was his coming out of the closet really this much of a shock? Maybe Tim should rethink telling anyone else ever, if this was how his best friend took it. Dick and Jason would be ok with it, obviously, but if Kon couldn’t wrap his head around this, what the hell was _Damian_ going to do?

Probably attempt to kill him again, and Tim couldn’t be the cause of his regression. He’d been so _good_ lately - although part of that could be as he was halfway to 15 years old, now and-

His thoughts were interrupted by the second rapid displacement of the night. One moment he was trying to ignore the rising tension on the rooftop and the next he was hoisted against the billboard above it, held in place by the Boy of Steel. Tim clutched him reflexively, and seriously considering biting him in retaliation. Only the experience of falling from great heights kept him from going through with it, but at the same time his unshakable trust in Kon kept him from panicking.

He took a deep breath when he saw the resolve in Kon’s eyes. Whatever was coming next could not possibly be good, and he needed to be level-headed about this rather than angry. “Kon, seriously. What the hell? Remember that I’m a little tipsy, and if you shake me around at super speed, I will vomit all over you.”

For some reason that made Kon crack a smile. “Try and hold off on that for a minute or two, ok?”

Before Tim could ask why - or even prepare to be shook around like a ragdoll again - Kon leaned in and kissed him firmly. His lips were warm and full against Tim’s, and for a moment the world went blessedly still, and he could register nothing than the feel of Kon against him and the joy that surged and roiled inside of him.

Kon leaned back and anxiously searched his expression, and that was when reality came crashing in. Tim suddenly felt a little like crying. He made do with cold rage, wrapping it around him like his cloak. “Put me down.”

“Tim-”

“Put me the fuck _down.”_

Kon wore that stupid, lovable, determined expression that Tim knew meant he wasn’t going to stand for any of Tim’s bullshit. “No. Will you just listen to me for a minute?”

Yet Tim was just as stubborn as Kon. “No, I will not. You listen to _me._ I don’t need your pity. If you think you can placate me you are seriously fucking up our friendship, and-”

Kon swooped back and kissed him again, more harshly this time. Even though Tim’s brain wanted to fight him, his body did nothing but sag against Kon. Good god, was he really that desperate? Or did he just desire Kon past the point of rationality?

Oh man. He really didn’t want to admit that, even to himself.

Kon pulled back more slowly this time, his eyes flicking from Tim’s mouth to his eyes. “It’s not pity, Tim. And I’m not letting _anything_ fuck up what we have. I just - it’s just…” He trailed off and his eyes dropped to Tim’s mouth again. Tim’s treacherous body sparked with want, even as his mind scrabbled desperately for the attention needed to listen.

“Kryptonians are...well, their sexuality is a little different. We’re naturally bisexual, for one. Among other things. And, um. I’m also your best friend, right? Right. So…”

Tim’s brain abruptly caught up, and it tamped down his arousal. “So….what? You think it’s ok to just jump me the moment I come out? Or is this just your way of keeping me from falling in love with people you don’t approve of?”

“Yes.” He was staring him directly in the eye, and for a moment Tim was too lost in the exotic blue to realize that Kon had just agreed with him.

“ _Yes?_ Wait, what? _Both_? You just-”

Kon kissed him a third time, but Tim was slightly more ready for it. As soon as their mouths parted to deepen the kiss he bit down on Kon’s lower lip, knowing that even though it wouldn’t hurt him, he would get the picture.

Yet even that didn’t go to plan. Kon exhaled shakily as they broke apart, and his pupils were dilated when he pulled back enough for Tim to register them. “Well damn, buddy. Going straight for the kink, I see.”

It had been a long evening, and Tim’s head and body were currently engaged in a very serious struggle whose outcome would decide the state of Tim’s virgin status and his best friendship with Kon. Thus he was not at his best when he planted both his hands on Kon’s face and made him look him in the eye. “Kon. _Tell me why you are doing this._ ”

Kon swallowed, and Tim manfully kept his gaze on his face, rather than dropping his gaze to his adam’s apple as it bobbed. “Because I want you. I mean, have you seen yourself? You’re stupid hot. I just didn’t think you swung that way.” He hesitated, and Tim knew that he was holding something back. Kon was the worst liar but he was also stubborn as only a super could be, and Tim knew the futility of challenging him when it looked like he had something to say. “And...also because if you’re looking at me you’re not looking at somebody like Jason. Which is kind of a shitty reason but I am maybe not working on all cylinders, here. You kind of make me lose my head sometimes. Like right now. But I’m serious, Tim. Can’t it be me instead? I mean if you say no I’ll understand, but I really want you to say yes. And I’ll stop coming after you if you want me to stop...but you gotta’ really _really_ want me to stop. Is that what you want, Tim?”

Sweet Christ, no. Especially when Kon’s voice had dropped a fifth and he could feel the reverberation of it where their chests touched. Good god, had he talked like that with Cassie? No wonder she had gone crazy and joined a cult when he had died.

He reminded himself that had stuck with attempting to clone him, and that wasn’t any better…

More importantly, Tim had no idea what to do. The smart thing - the right thing - to do was this: thank Kon for his feelings, promise him that he would never, ever go after a villain sexually, and ask for him to put him down. They’d forget and move on, and apart from the soul-sucking regret he would feel every time Kon looked at anyone else ever, all would be well. Yet Tim’s body had an agenda of its own, apparently. While he struggled with himself to just open his mouth and turn him down, his fingers had threaded themselves into Kon’s close-cropped hair, thumbs brushing against his cheekbones. He’d never get to touch him like this again, after all. Hell, they barely even hugged. One more moment was all he asked. Just one more moment of touching him, pretending that he could kiss Kon back and then he would be strong.

He hadn’t reckoned on Kon tipping the balance, however.

“You’re driving me crazy, Tim-” Kon interrupted himself as he hitched Tim up just a little higher against the billboard so that they were now eye to eye. “Let me have a turn for once.”

All of his concerns fell away as Kon kissed him one more time, slanting his mouth determinedly over his. This kiss showed all his previous efforts to be chaste, polite invitations, whereas this was a tantalizing offer of all he could give. It was also a demand for Tim to respond and he did, helpless in the face of his long-time secret crush’s desire. Need crested over him like an ocean wave, and for a long time he found himself set adrift, kissing Kon back as passionately as he could, surrendering to the moment. Yet when Kon pulled back to mouth along his neck, Tim sucked in a deep breath of cool air and found himself again.

“Kon, we can’t-  
“Yes we can.” His mouth was hot and steady against the pulse point at his neck. “We can do anything.”

Tim leaned back and gasped, unconsciously jerking his hips forward. He spoke around Kon’s low groan of approval. “The team. Our friendship. It’ll fuck it all- _ohh_ \- up.”

Kon licked up the length of Tim’s neck, ending at his ear. “Then we’ll be careful. We’ll keep it a secret. It can just be a thing we do, like video games and fighting crime.” He broke away from tonguing Tim’s earlobe to take his lips again in a searing kiss. When he pulled back Tim was far too gone to fight him anymore. “Don’t you trust me?  
Tim hazily nodded, lips parted and eyes hooded. He reached for Kon to pull him back but Kon only came close enough to nuzzle his nose.

“And I trust you, Tim. It’ll all be ok. We’ll make it work. Just for now...let’s-”

“ _Kiss me, Kon-el.”_ Tim’s voice was low and compelling, and it was tinged with Robin’s tone of command. Against him Kon shivered, and just before Tim’s mind surrendered to the fire raging throughout his body, he set aside for later examination the realization that his Red Robin voice turned Kon on.

Then it was all sensation. Kon was stronger than nearly every sentient being on earth, and even after holding Tim up for half an hour he showed no sign of tiring. It was intoxicating to be supported so effortlessly, and to run his hands over the broad slopes and planes of his musculature. Tim lost himself, kissing his best friend helplessly as he ran his hands over every inch of him that he could reach. He keened high in his throat when Kon hitched him against the sign with his powerful thigh and did the same to him.

There were far too many clothes, and not a whole lot of options for removing them. At least, in Tim’s case. Kon only had to employ the use of his TTK to unbutton Tim’s shirt, giving him more skin to touch. When hot lips wrapped around Tim’s nipple, he jolted in surprise, banging the back of his head against the billboard. Below him Kon chuckled, and Tim tightened his legs around his friend’s waist in retaliation.

Yet no matter how mind-blowingly hot this was, Tim couldn’t simply let himself go. Especially if their friends started looking for them. He laced his fingers into Kon’s hair again and pulled him up, mouth leaving his chest with an audible pop. That shouldn’t be as sexy as he found it, Tim decided, and kissed him hard one last time before he made his ultimatum.

“Here’s the game plan-”

Kon’s eyes lit up. “Oh man, is it sexy Captain Robin time? Damn, I am so down for this.”

Tim’s eyes lidded in what he hoped was disapproval, but it was offset by his obvious arousal. “Yes. So listen closely, Kon. First we’re going to go back to the party, and make sure none of our team has thrown up, been compromised, or debauched in our absence. Then I’ll get Stephanie home, and you’ll fly off in the direction of Smallville.”

Kon’s jaw dropped. “ _Tim._ Come on. Don’t send me home _now.”_

Tim’s smirk grew at Kon’s pleading expression. He may or may not have wiggled a little so that their erections rubbed together, but he would never admit it. “ _Then_ , I want you to fly back and follow the sound of my voice. Not to the manor. I’ve got a robin’s nest in Bludhaven that we could finish our bros night in, if you want…”

Kon’s eyes lit up but his excitement was quickly tempered. “You promise? You’re not going to suddenly sober up and realize what we just did and freak out, are you?” He winced. “Oh, what am I saying. That is exactly what you are going to do.”

Tim frowned. There was nothing wrong with being a thinking man, and his caution had saved all their lives on a near regular basis. Besides, there was no way he could possibly renege when he wanted it this much. Not even if Kon was his best friend, partner, founding member of their current team, and Superboy himself _…_

Kon must have seen a glint of worry in Tim’s eyes because he took charge once more. He fished Tim’s cell phone out of his pants with his TTK and tapped in his password, and then before Tim could snatch the phone away a text message as well.

Tim cradled the retrieved phone to his chest, trying his tipsy best to look threatening. He was remarkably successful. “Kon, that is my phone.”

“I realize. I just gave us another option.”

Tim gave him a look before glancing down at the message. It was addressed to both Cassie and Stephanie: _Kon’s having a midlife crisis. I’ll drag him back to the party as soon as I find him. Don’t do anything stupid, and remember that batcest counts as incest._

Tim winced. Well that was a disaster. When Stephanie waved that around in Jason’s face he would know that Tim hadn’t been the one writing it. Not when Tim had been an integral part of the secret Convince Jason to Keep Sexing Dick plot. But he certainly understood the impulse. If he let this settle he would most likely freak out and regret it. Whereas if he just went with the flow for once in his life…

Tonight could be the best night of his life. He just had to reach out and take the opportunity.

With one last arch look at Kon he tapped out a separate message to Jason - _SB and I have mission. Explain later. Make sure Steph gets to Babs. Debt paid, have forgotten everything._ And then to Kon, “I see that. So is the new plan you fly me to my place in Bludhaven and then we sex each other senseless?”

Kon leaned his head forward until it rested at the crook of Tim’s shoulder, and inhaled deeply. He shuddered before he responded. “If...if that’s what you want, buddy.”

There was a funny hesitation in his voice, and it worried Tim a little until Kon glanced back up and Tim could see the heat in his eyes, and the way he licked his lips. That decided it for Tim. This was crazy, but Kon wanted him. Actually this was a step beyond crazy. This was _madness_ , happening way too quickly, and Bruce and Superman would likely kill them both if they ever found out. But if Kon wanted him half as much as he wanted him this would be fucking spectacular, and when Kon looked at him like that there was no way he could deny him, anyway. So he leaned forward to kiss Kon’s mouth, gently and almost hesitantly.

“Yeah. I want this.”

Kon’s face went still before he broke out into a grin that was just a little too tight at the edges. “Hold on tight, then.” His voice dropped again as he held Tim more securely against him. “Don’t want you to fall _too_ hard.”

Then they were streaking through the sky towards Bludhaven, and all Tim could think as he burrowed himself into Kon’s chest to block out the screaming wind was that it was far, far too late for that.

…

…

…

…

…

Tim woke slowly, and the residual heat from the bed and last night’s activities were such that he dozed in a pleasant haze, mind drifting over the thoughts that had him mildly aroused. Kon had been in a mood last night, and he had wanted to take control. Not that Tim minded. Kon’s idea of control was laying Tim out and kneading, kissing, sucking and stroking every inch of his flesh until Tim was a quivering mess underneath him, too desperate to properly return the favor. Then he had sucked him dry, licked him through the aftershocks and then kissed and cuddled him until he had fallen asleep.

_Happy Anniversary,_ he had whispered as Tim drifted, and all Tim could mumble was _It’s only been 3 months, Kon._

_That_ served to wake him, and he glanced over at the back of Kon’s head, wondering if he could somehow tell Tim was thinking about him. Anniversary perhaps wasn’t the word, although it was 3 months to a night from Stephanie’s 20th birthday party. But anniversary also implied a relationship beyond the bounds of partners and friendship, and although Tim found himself in a variety of sexual situations with Kon with a startling regularity, he certainly couldn’t claim to be his boyfriend.

Tim closed his eyes and clamped down on a spasm of pain. There was no place for regrets whenever they were together, especially on the rare occasions they were able to steal a whole night’s time. It was easy enough to steal a few hours here or there - it helped that their friendship was a staple of the super community and thus no one looked too closely - but a whole night was something special. Tim should have guessed Kon’s motivation for spending a whole night together had something to do with the anniversary situation. He was an incredibly generous partner, even when their situation was this unorthodox. While Tim appreciated that fact, his inability to return the favor grated on him.

It was something that Tim tried his hardest not to think about. It was also one of Kon’s few mandates: Tim was absolutely not allowed to think about anything that would lead, whether directly or indirectly, to a freakout. Kon had gone so far to once admit that in terms of _them_ , he wanted Tim to think only about ‘superhero stuff’, and to fantasize about Kon himself. _That_ he was allowed to do often and as filthily as he liked, Kon had told him with his most serious expression. Tim had swatted him, but that had then turned into an impromptu sparring/makeout session, and then they’d-

Tim shook his head. No, he had to stay on track here. It went against his nature not to examine a situation from all angles, and although he’d like nothing more than to drift along in their friends with benefits situation, the fact that Kon had made a thing - no matter how slight - of their three month anniversary was something he had to pay attention to.

Three months was a long time to be close to someone without definition. Were it with anyone else, Tim would be tearing his hair out over this. Yet this was _Kon_ , and thus the only reason it had worked. Besides, what they’d done in bed - everything and anything leading up to penetrative anal sex - had been so mind-blowingly good that it was a little easier to ignore the neon writing on the wall. But now Tim’s silly brain couldn’t help but think, and think hard. Did last night mean something more? Had Kon’s behavior belied some sort of deeper emotion than lent itself to fuck friends? Or was this all just wishful thinking on Tim’s part?

It would be easier to deal with if it was. Then Tim would just have to rein himself in, and shield his heart from the devastation of their inevitable ‘break up.’ Something like this couldn’t last forever, no matter how atypical their lifestyles and their concept of social normativity. Kon’s eye was bound to be caught by someone more socially acceptable soon enough, or would eventually succumb to Cassie’s less-than-subtle attempts to get back together. Then it would end, and just be a memory. But at least he’d have that to measure every other sexual encounter against.

Yet if it meant something to Kon? If Kon was starting to feel for Tim romantically, not just sexually? The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying, and Tim’s brain threatened to shut down rather than contemplate would that would mean for him personally. Never mind that it would be the fulfillment of his secret and most powerful dreams. He couldn’t even hope for it, as their relationship would be impossible in the super community. Dick and Jason were the exception that proved the rule - and even then, no one knew about them except for Tim and Barbara, and perhaps Roy and Kori. But they were both trained by the Bat to keep their secrets, and while Tim could pass such training with ease, Kon could not. More so, Tim would never want him to. Part of the reason why Tim loved him so damn much was because he was everything Tim was not, and lying about and hiding his feelings for a long term partner was unfair to Kon, in particular. Tim and Kon would bring way too much censure down, disregarding the fact that Kon would never be able to keep an actual relationship a secret.

That familiar sinking despair flooded him, and Tim breathed in deeply through his nose. He held it, striving for calm. He wasn’t going to allow this moment of weakness, not when he was in bed with Kon. The end would come, one way or another, and until then he wouldn’t waste a moment.

Keeping that in mind...Tim rolled over as carefully as he could, eyes tracing the lines of Kon’s broad back. He was strong and wide enough for Tim to sleep on top of, even though Tim had grown out of his weedy teen stage. He felt warm and -oh, but he'd never admit this part- protected whenever they were in that position, and Kon seemed to like glancing down at the top of his head and stroking him like a human-sized kitten that had clambered up on top of him. Tim grinned. Kon was hopelessly lovable, even when nonsensical. It went hand in hand with being so painfully desirable, even while unconscious.

That gave Tim an idea. It wasn’t the kind of anniversary present he had given to his previous girlfriends, but it was definitely more in keeping with their situation and what Kon had given him. Slowly he shifted down the bed, taking the blankets with him. He moved gradually enough that Kon didn’t react and jerk the blankets back up. When the blankets were halfway down Kon’s bare thigh he had stroke of luck: seeking warmth, Kon rolled over onto his back and as they had both slept in the nude, all that was left of Tim’s plan was to hope Kon wouldn’t react violently.

Tim glanced up to make sure Kon’s eyes were closed before he shifted carefully between Kon’s spread legs. It wasn’t the most comfortable fit, but it was the best he could do without moving Kon’s limbs and the blankets hanging heavily on his back. His attention then traveled down Kon’s body - the wide stretch of his ribcage, his hairless body (it was a Kryptonian thing, he had admitted when Tim had suffered a moment of consciousness about his own surprisingly hairy body. And then he had proceeded to show Tim just how much he liked his body, hair or no) and finally the thick organ sleeping between his thighs. Even flaccid Kon was large, engorged he was about 8 and a half inches and still too much for Tim to fully take in his mouth. Yet like this Tim thought he could manage it. More so, Tim _wanted_ to manage it.

His heart hammered in his chest. He’d never woken a partner up with sex before, and was unaccountably nervous about Kon’s reaction. What if he didn’t _like_ getting woken up with Tim’s mouth around his cock? _Well then happy anniversary to me too,_ he thought, and then bent his head to lick the mushroom tip of Kon's surprisingly circumcised penis.

Even with the majority of his attention on the taste and texture of Kon’s cock, Tim knew the exact moment when Kon woke up. And when a moment passed and nothing changed other than the organ swelling with interest in Tim’s mouth making it slightly more difficult to swirl his tongue around the head’s ridges, arousal shot to Tim’s own groin. Kon hadn’t thrown him off, even if he hadn’t done anything else, either. Tim took that as a go ahead, and left off teasing Kon with his tongue and took as much as he could into his mouth.

Above him, Kon left off playing asleep and whimpered, his voice low and sleepy. “Fuck. _Tim._ Oh fu- is this the way you say good morning?”

Kon was now fully erect - or close enough to it - and Tim had to back off a little to keep from choking. Not that that wasn’t hot in its own right, but maybe not at 7:15 in the morning. He licked up the underside of Kon’s penis, pressing his tongue into the vein. Then he pulled off completely, looking up at Kon with his arousal obvious in his expression.

“Happy anniversary, Kon.”

That made something flicker across Kon’s face, something raw and primal that made tension coil low in Tim’s gut. Yet it also made Tim feel exposed, so he bent his head back down to continue giving Kon the blow job of his life.

He might not be able to use his words, but with every swipe of his tongue, he hoped that Kon could feel that he needed him, if not how much he outright loved him.

…

...

...

…

...

Tim should have known that no moment of happiness could go untarnished. Or maybe some of Jason’s terrible luck had rubbed off on him, because after their frankly incredible morning oral session everything went to shit. Not immediately, Tim would admit in all fairness. After they parted ways he had a few classes to attend, a business deal to shadow Bruce on, and then as evening closed an hour of sparring with Damian, who actually wanted to practice with the bo staff for once and so Tim was able to soundly kick his not-so-little-anymore-but-still -freakishly-entitled butt. So actually, life was kind of awesome for him until it all went crashing down like the Hindenburg late that evening.

It started with Bart. Well, technically Cassie, but Bart was the instigator and the speedster was far easier to blame than the muscle-bound Amazon-by-proxy. Besides, if he hadn’t suggested a welcome home party, none of this would have happened and none of the crazy shit would have gone down.

It was supposed to be a relaxed evening. Cassie had just come back from Themyscira, where she had been gone a month to train with the Amazons. Bart had seen this as an opportunity to celebrate and Tim, who had missed Cassie and wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to see Kon again, had agreed and even offered up one of their old team bunkers out on the edge of Bludhaven. Ten minutes later the place was decorated with banners and signs done up with glitter glue, the fridge fully stocked, and even a beer pong table set up. Tim had raised an eyebrow at that but Bart had just breathlessly gone on his way muttering something about crash offerings and earthbound goddesses. Tim had not wanted to know any more than that, and had then kept to his plan of not shooting Kon flirtatious glances all night with only partial success.

This was made easier when Stephanie showed up. Tim had almost forgotten than she would be invited to her new best friend’s homecoming, and as she was a hell of a lot sharper than Bart at his most distracted, he had to stop giving smoldering glances at his secret lover. Thankfully Kon had read the change in situation and had taken on the role of charming, single best friend. Tim took over as Bart-wrangler, keeping the man from playing superspeed ping pong off the walls.

It was always a danger, them being out in public together. There were moments when Tim would look across the room and immediately look down, as his heart was far too full and his expression might match. Yet this night was no different than any of the others and Tim thought that all would be well. He continued to think this when he switched roles with Kon and socialized with Steph - she was happy and relaxed tonight, and Tim was relieved to hear that the cute boy in her Bio class was the reason. In all, the night seemed promising, and on the heels of such a perfect day, Tim thought that for once nothing could go wrong.

He learned differently the moment Cassie arrived. She had flown in, her hair windswept and still somehow glorious; she was a striking depiction of strength and beauty. He had always wondered how Kon never seemed to fall back in with her, as there were moments when _Tim_ was attracted to her. Yet tonight she was buoyed with an almost supernatural grace, and all sounds seemed to stop the moment she landed in the room. There was a determination in her expression that Tim hadn’t seen since Kon had returned from the dead, and there was just enough time for Tim’s heart to fall into his stomach when her eyes fell on Kon. In the next moment she was across the room faster than Tim could process, kissing Kon passionately.

Somewhere else in the known universe Bart was making noises more appropriate to a startled llama, and Stephanie squealed in surprise. Yet her excitement cut off abruptly when she turned to face Tim. Tim was aware of the concern on her face the same way he was aware of her tentative hand on his shoulder; of Kon’s hands at Cassie’s shoulders, pushing away ineffectually, and Bart’s continuing llama noises. Yet what pushed all outer stimuli to the side was the pounding blood in his veins, and the bitter knowledge that in this case, paradise was not simply lost but burned to the ground.

Kon managed to push Cassie away, and the world came rushing back in painful clarity. Tim immediately adopted his stoniest, unreadable visage but Stephanie had seen his moment of weakness. For a moment all five of them were frozen like they were players in some sort of ghastly tableau - even Bart, for whom stillness so often was pain. Then, Stephanie moved and shook the moment into something salvageable.

“Wow. Welcome home, Cass! And what an entrance.” She glanced slyly at Tim, whose head had jerked up enough to see her bright, polished, and totally fake smile. “Wish I’d known it was Ladies Pick Your Man night - ah well. My turn now!”

Tim caught her plan just as she turned and tugged him out the door. She didn’t have Cassie’s super strength so it was somewhat more obvious that Tim wasn’t resisting her. Yet he couldn’t stay here - god knew what his face was projecting, but it was enough for Stephanie - and this was his only way out without making a scene himself. So what if Kon thought he and Steph might be kissing? He had just let Cassie suck on his face for a good _minute_.

Rage and sorrow surged in turns, and Tim was so focused on centering himself and finding his calm that he nearly retaliated when Stephanie reached for his backpack.

“What are you-”  
“Need the grapple, Timothy. Get us up to the roof.” Her tone was eerily calm, as if she hadn’t just seen her ex-boyfriend’s heart break at the sight of his best friend kissing his ex-girlfriend. Tim was unsure of what _that_ meant, and hurried to comply. None of them were in costume, yet it was full dark outside. Still, he pulled up his hoodie before he pulled his grapple gun out of the bag - never go out unprepared, and all that - gestured for Stephanie to hold on, and grappled up to the rooftop.

Once there he retracted the grapple line carefully as it gave him something to look at other than Stephanie. He might have continued staring at the damn gun all night had she not plopped down next to him with a sigh.

“Oh, Timmy. You really do know how to make yourself miserable, don’t you.”

He had thought she might be angry, or hurt, or at the very least annoyed that he hadn’t told her. Yet her tone was quiet and careful, and obviously pitying. Much as the pity grated, he was thankful she wasn’t insulted. “I didn’t...I mean, I -” He trailed off helplessly, angling for anything through the mire of hopeless sorrow he was stuck in. “I couldn’t help it.”

Stephanie’s face cycled through several expressions, as if she couldn’t quite figure out how to proceed. This was a new experience for Tim, who knew from years of being her friend, boyfriend, and then friend again that she generally had little trouble voicing what was on her mind. “How long?”

“Have I been homosexual?”

She furrowed her brow at that. “Ye- Well, no. Let’s start with _Kon.”_

No matter what was happening in there with Kon and Cassie, Tim wasn’t going to give up anything that lead to the discovery of their secret. “Long enough. It’s just been particularly hard, lately. I didn’t expect Cassie to…” He sighed. “Did anyone else see?”

Stephanie shook her head slowly, not taking her eyes from Tim’s face. “No. Just me. Your secret should be safe, Tim. And I’m certainly not going to tell anybody. You know that.”

Tim nodded before leaning over and pressing a chaste kiss to the top of her head. “I do. Thank you, Steph.” And then, because it was a distraction from the pain of knowing the man he loved wasn’t coming after him, “Are you mad? That I didn’t tell you I’m only into guys?”

“Did you know when we were together?”

Tim narrowed his eyes in a wince. “A little. Toward the end was when I started to realize, although I didn’t own up to it until about three years ago.”

Stephanie huffed a sigh before looking at him with an expression that was a mixture of annoyance, exasperation, and sympathy. “Well, I probably should be. But I kind of understand not wanting to tell me about your sexuality, even if it has been a while since we were together. Regardless, having a hopeless crush on your best friend is kind of worse. He doesn’t know, right? Actually, knowing you...does _anyone_ know?”

Tim hesitated, knowing he couldn’t up and admit that not only did Kon know, but that for a short period of time had even kind of reciprocated. Time to muddy the waters. “Well...Jason might know that I’m not _adverse_ to the thought of men. No, Stephanie - stop making that face. It has nothing to do with _him_ , but once on a stakeout I mentioned that I’d rather kiss Roy than Kori. It was kind of a joke but it didn’t exactly work out the way I wanted, and so...yeah. He might know. We’ve never talked about it, but he didn’t seem like he cared. But that’s just my sexuality. He doesn’t know any specifics.”

“Wow, Roy? Really?”

“ _Stephanie.”_

Stephanie gave him a little smile. “So bad taste aside, I’m pretty honored that you’re trusting me with this. The fact that you haven’t stranded me on the roof is totally a testament to our best friendship, and now the deal is cemented. I’m totally your favorite bat sibling again, and that means I win. Excellent.”

She was trying to make him laugh, and so Tim spared her a tiny smile. He couldn’t mean it when his heart was breaking like this, but he could at least be grateful.

After a moment she glanced over at him again, hitting him lightly on the bicep in a very Stephanie attempt to clear the air. “So, um. I know better than to ask if you want to talk about it. I mean, right now at least. But let’s patrol together next week, ok? We can hash it out on our snack breaks. If you want. I mean, the patrolling is non-negotiable, but I know all about you and talking. Especially about feelings.”

While Tim knew all the ways to distract Stephanie (including but not limited to coney dogs, bitching about Damian, and discussing her attempts to socialize Cassandra Cain via copious viewings of the X-Files) he had a feeling that she’d be a dog with a bone for his crush on Kon. So he nodded, but then followed that up with, “I was also thinking about taking over Bludhaven over spring break - let Dick have a little vacation. This may be just the impetus I needed, actually.” He swallowed and affected his most stoic face. “I probably need a little space right now.”

Then he turned and quirked an eyebrow at her, as if something amusing finally pierced through his misery. “You’re totally allowed to come and patrol with me there, though. At least once a week. Damian will have a _snit._ ”

Stephanie rolled her eyes, but it was playful. “I swear, the two of you. You guys are worse than Dick and Jason. The Little Terror has been perfectly _fine_ for the last year. Barely a terror at all, really.” Stephanie looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s probably from training with Cass. She probably just bitchslapped all that sass right out of him.”

Tim thought that Damian’s good behaviour stemmed more from a burgeoning awareness of Stephanie, but he had been wrong before. Either way, both bat girls were terrifying, and like as not to keep the youngest in line in their own separate ways. Together, they’d might be able to make him a sane, if not altogether likable human being. Tim belatedly wondered if he could somehow _use_ this realization, and if having it made him a genius.

After a moment of reflection he realized that the recent situation with Kon barred him from that for pretty much all of time. “That is entirely possible Steph. Or maybe Dick finally cuddled the meanness out of him.” _Dick._ Thinking of Dick and cuddling in the same sentence suddenly made him remember his other brother, and suddenly the idea of getting hopelessly intoxicated and unloading on either one of them was the only thing he wanted to do right now. He trusted Stephanie, but he had held and protected Jason and Dick’s secret for about three years now. They’d _have_ to keep his. They might even be able to make him feel better. He would just have to convince them not to go haring off after Kon, and all would be well. Hopefully. Eventually.

Ignoring the quiet yet persuasive voice that informed him that nothing would be well unless Kon came after him and kissed him senseless, Tim turned to Stephanie. “Speaking of Dick, I’m pretty sure he hailed us right after you dragged me out of the party to uh, snog me stupid, or whatever. Remember? And then I obviously had to go off and help him. You had my permission to be visibly put out when you were forced to return to the party and apologize for me.”

Stephanie’s eyebrows started out at her hairline but relaxed as Tim’s meaning became clear. She snorted as she nudged Tim with her shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Time for Steph to put on her acting pants and save the day. You don’t mind if I ham it up a bit, do you? Might have to anyway. The atmosphere in there was a bit tense.”

Tim’s eyes hooded at the thought of Stephanie leaning right into Kon with a little smirk and an offhanded observation to try and dispel the tension. Maybe _mmmm,_ _batboys have the softest lips_ or, _looks like round two is on the menu for everyone tonight!_ Either way, Kon would know she was lying - he wasn’t quite as good as Superman at monitoring heart rates and pupil dilations, but he was the next best thing. The question was would he care? Or would he drop Tim for a heteronormative relationship with his first love? It was the smartest and sanest thing to do, especially as Cassie was awesome and there was no future for whatever he was doing with Tim. There was no way Kon could pick Tim over Cassie. Kon had loved Cassie, and those feelings had to be worth more than however attractive he admittedly found Tim. That, coupled with the disapproval from the super community and society at large made it impossible for Tim expect anything.

Knowing that didn’t make it impossible to hope, however, even when his dreams tasted like ashes in his mouth.

Something of his thoughts must have crossed his face as Stephanie stood and brushed herself off. “Ok, Timmers. Time to get this show on the road before someone comes out and investigates. You head off and brood, and I’ll run the damage control. And you owe me. Like woah. So clear up your patrol schedule for the next week or so. We’re going to have _sessions.”_

Yeah, that was probably something he should fear mightily. Right now, however, with a heart in jagged pieces and a hope shredded beyond recognition, he couldn’t muster up enough indignation to care. He simply gripped her around the waist and readied his grapple.

He could get over this. He _would._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve never before imagined the noises a startled llama makes, congratulations. Now you have. :)


	3. Part II

**Part II**

Tim always thought it amusing when people seemed to think there had only been one, adolescent Robin for the last 10 years or so. Barring their physical differences, they all had vastly different style. For instance, finding Dick was never as difficult as the man himself would like it to be. The man was a born showman, and there was no way to teach him paranoia. Finding Jason, on the other hand, was often a hopeless endeavor. He had grown up with caution in his bones, and Tim thought it was probably how he’d survived long enough to learn that cocksure confidence. He knew how to hide so no one would ever find him, which had been one of Dick’s major gripes during the last three years of their...arrangement. Yet whatever Dick was doing must have worked better than even he’d expected, as Jason had always come back, and they had always found a way to make it work.

It was a thankful thing then that Jason had let slip where he’d be this week, that very safe house in Bludhaven where Tim had helped to nudge Dick into full awareness of his feelings. Tim hoped that this time, Jason might be around and able to teach him a way to make his feelings come to heel. After all, out of the two of them he was simultaneously the most aware of his feelings, and the most unable to deal with them. Surely he would have _some_ piece of repressive advice for his tag-along little brother. Or maybe he would just have a bottle of vodka and a place to crash. Either way Tim needed _something_ , and the thought of heading back to his apartment tonight alone...wasn't feasible.

He drove into Bludhaven about an hour later, after shooting Jason a text to see if he’d be on patrol tonight. There was no answer, but that just answered his question. Jason often left his cell at home when he went out as the Red Hood, so the only way to get ahold of him now would be to scour the city for explosions or to hack onto Outlaw frequencies. Tim decided he’d just hang around the apartment and wait, thankful that Jason had given him a keycode to let himself in.

It was late, but Tim had certainly snuck into his older brothers' apartments later than this. He deactivated the safety alarms, and carefully lay his gear down on the table before realizing that while the rest of the apartment was dark, there was a faint light peeking underneath Jason’s bedroom door. Tim approached the room cautiously, senses on high alert. Jason was obviously not home- his Red Hood gear was gone. So who was? Also curious was the intensity of the light. It wasn't the bright, overhead light, nor a bedside lamp. Actually, this light seemed to flicker across the floor just outside the door...almost like a flashlight.

Tim grinned and shook his head. Whoever this robber was, they had picked the wrong person to mess with. Flicking up the hoodie on his sweatshirt, he kicked the door open and dropped into position-only to spin away immediately, and wish he had knocked.

“Dick!”

“Tim!”

Tim fought down his blush, even though his older brother couldn’t see it. "Christ, Dick! I thought you were a- why the hell are you naked?"

From the sounds of it, his naked older brother began scrambling for clothes (hopefully), taking care not to kick over the multitude of candles that ringed the room. “Tim! I was just, uh...well…” There was a weighty pause and the sound of a zipper, and so Tim turned around, assuming it was safe. While there was still an alarming stretch of chest to be seen, Dick was now pantsed, and Tim took that as a victory. Dick gave him a look. “Do you really need me to explain?”

Well, no. No, he didn’t. And actually, now that the initial shock had passed, Tim thought he might have just struck the jackpot. He had hoped for Jason, but _both_ his brothers might be better. But then again, he had just massively cockblocked both of them, so maybe it would be better to regroup…

“No, Dick. I uh...I’m sorry that I uh, interrupted you guys. I’ll just, uh…” He trailed off, edging toward the door. “Just when you’re done...um, could either you or Jason call me?”

Dick’s eyes narrowed. “Oh no, baby bird. Get your butt back in here and tell me what happened. I haven’t heard anything from O so I’m assuming it’s personal... _Tim_. I said get _back in here_.”

The thought of a half naked Richard Grayson chasing him throughout Jason’s safehouse was more than a little alarming. Tim froze at the doorway and looked back sheepishly, attempting to win the day with his rarely used but powerful puppy eyes. He should have known better. Dick was the man who’d taught him the puppy eyes, after all.

“Timothy Jackson Drake. We are talking about whatever is wrong _right now_ or so help me-”

Dick was speaking in a mix of his Nightwing voice and his I’m Your Big Brother and I Love You Best voice, and between the two of them Tim couldn’t take it. He found himself blurting out the crux of the issue like it was a verbal bomb that might explode if he held it too long. “Kon and I are lovers,” he winced when he realized the incorrectness of his tense. “ _Were_ lovers. Cassie just...I might have just left him. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on, anymore.”

Utter silence followed this announcement. Tim snuck a glance at his older brother, wondering if he were allowed to take a perverse pleasure in Dick’s open mouthed amazement. Really, striking Dick speechless was a major accomplishment, and if he’d known all it took were to air his liaison with his best friend, he...well, he wouldn’t have done it sooner, but it was good to know, regardless.

It took Dick a moment longer to regain his bearings. But when he did, he snapped back into action mode, taking charge of the situation as only the eldest brother could. “We’re getting drunk, Timmy,” he announced in a tone that brooked no argument. “Very drunk. Right now. And then you will tell me everything.” He strode from the room, still shirtless, in the direction of his lover’s liquor cabinet. Tim followed dutifully, if a little nervously.

“You aren’t going to tell Bruce, are you?”

Dick choked a little. “Are you insane? He is the last person on this earth who I would tell! Christ. You’re going to kill me, I know it. Babs, if you’re listening, stop. Trust me. It’s for your sanity as well as ours.”

There was no answering reply and Dick nodded grimly as he pulled out several handles of vodka, rum, and tequila. “I’m pretty sure she’s learned not to listen in on this particular safehouse, by now. Especially ‘cuz she knows that I had uh, plans for tonight. Although I _had_ expected Jason to be home over an hour ago now...Oh well. Things must be rough out there. If he comes home tonight we’ll just get him drunk too. Pick your poison, Tim. And then everything. Seriously. Right now.”

And so it began. Tim, perhaps due to Jason’s influence, picked vodka. Dick went for the rum, although halfway through Tim’s tale eloquently declared _oh fuck it_ and switched to the tequila. Tim, to his credit, left nothing out.

Some of the more explicit details he glossed over, but he had forgotten how irreverent Dick could be when he flat out asked, “So...how good is it on a scale from...Killer Croc to Poison Ivy?”

Only Dick would use their villains as a sexual rating scale. Yet tonight Tim was just drunk enough to go for it. “What’s beyond Poison Ivy?”

“God _damn_ , Tim. God _damn.”_

Of course, all humor evaporated when he got to the events of earlier that evening. The party, Cassie’s return, the kiss. And right on the heels of such an emotionally charged morning, too! Tim realized he was beginning to make very little sense, but Dick was nodding along with him. He began to feel a little better, and he thought it might not be the affects of the alcohol - although he was quite drunk - but also Dick’s companionship.

Yet what comfort that provided was forgotten when he reached the end of his tale. He had run, and Kon had not come after him. Sure, Stephanie’s presence might have barred him from immediately coming after him, but it had taken him over an hour to reach Bludhaven. If Kon had wanted, he could have reached him during that time. And If Kon had chosen him, he would have obviously come after him, right?

Dick had mused, head tilting from shoulder to shoulder with drunken looseness. “Mmm, maybe. But maybe not.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiled widely at him, seeming to hold his alcohol no better than Tim. Dick was a notorious lightweight, and it was widely speculated that even 14 year old Damian was less so than he. “Well, you are aware that you are pretty terrifying, right?”

Tim flushed in a mixture of pride and embarrassment. He absolutely knew he was terrifying; he had worked damn hard to be so! “So? What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m just saying - that might be why he’s giving you some space. I mean, I can only assume you are like, thirty times as intense when you’re in a relationship as when you’re Red Robin, so…”

“I am not thirty times...what the hell, Dick? We’re all like that, aren’t we?” He grew a little muddled as several interesting thoughts occurred to him at once. “Is it ‘cuz we all trained under Bruce? Do you think Bruce is terrifying with women? Are you and Jason like that when you’re together? Who’s more intense, you or Jason?”

Dick shook with laughter, and there was a glint of something in his eyes that hinted he might not be quite as drunk as he made out to be. “Oh god, I do not know what Bruce is like with women, and never do I want to know. But yes, the batboys are terrifying. This is why we are forced to date each other. And between me and Jason, I am obviously the most intense.” He paused a moment to take in Tim’s trusting expression. “Ok I can’t even lie to you right now Jason is about one hundred times more intense than me when he gets going. And when he tops. And when he tells me he loves me in Lithuanian. Oh, man. Why the hell isn’t he home right now.”

Tim ignored Dick’s heated reminiscing in favor of making a face and nearly toppling over. Only one part of Dick’s speech had stuck with him, and he had very strong feelings about it. “I’m _not_ dating Damian. That is _disgusting._ ”

Dick snorted unattractively, completely diverted. “Oh, man. Oh _man._ That would be _hilarious._ Oh. Bruce would flip the goddamn _Batcave._ _”_

Tim shook his head wildly, his balance shifting a bit. “No, no. Back to Kon. What do I do, Dick? Do I move on before he can end it? Do I pretend like it never happened?” He swirled his vodka, wondering how many shots - he remembered six distinctly - he had taken, exactly. “I’m worried about how it will be after this. Even more than...than losing him. I knew it couldn’t last. I knew it was...too good to be true. Too _impossible_ to be true. But I don’t want him to look back and regret me, or wish he’d never done it. Or think less of me. Or even think _differently_ of me. Does that make sense? Do you think he will?”

Dick watched him with his wide, blue eyes, impossibly light against his olive skin. He sipped his tequila thoughtfully as he formulated his answer. The coherency of his response further demonstrated that Dick either held his liquor far better than any suspected. “I think...that’s a very valid fear, Tim. But it’s not something you can control. Whatever Kon thinks or feels is up to him, just as your own thoughts and actions can only be undertaken by you. And that’s your answer. You can’t worry about what he does, only focus on your own path. The way you act will determine how he treats you. If you’re confident, he won’t treat you like you’re a china doll about to break. If you're unflappable he won't pity you. If you smile, he’ll smile back.

“I don’t know if he’ll love you, or what he’ll choose to do in terms of being with you or with Cassie...but I think you can salvage your friendship. Just be open and honest, and for god’s sake don’t try and play mind games with him _or_ yourself. Kon isn’t like us, Timmy. He’s not dark or furtive or desperate or devious. He’s all the things that you admire. So just treat him with respect, and he’ll treat you the same way.”

Tim suddenly felt perilously close to crying. This simple wisdom made him realize how real the situation with Kon was. The advice about how to best move on made him realize how much he had to lose. He drained his cup, not sure of how else he could keep from weeping when as if it was an answer from the gods, Dick’s phone rang.

_Nearrrrrrr farrrrrr - wherrrrEEEEEVVVvvverr you arrreeeeeeeee-_

Even when wallowing in despair Tim managed to roll his eyes at Dick’s taste in music. Especially as that was Jason’s ringtone. Dick blushed and swung his eyes from Tim to the phone, undecided. Tim made the decision for him.

“Take the call, D. I’m ok.”

Dick smiled in thanks and stood up on wobbly legs, answering. “Hey, baby. All clear on your end?”

Tim could hear Jason’s mildly aggrieved response through the speaker as Dick moved away, heading to Jason’s room for a moment of privacy. “ _Would I call if it wasn’t, Dickless?”_

The door shut behind him, and all Tim could hear was the rise and fall of Dick’s voice, alternately soothing and annoyed. Tim had no doubt that Jason’s tone was similar, at least within his own range of expressivity. After three long years of passion and heartbreak they had somehow reached a balance wherein their desperation for each other had slowly yet surely become a desire to make the other happy, healthy, sane.

Listening to its echoes, Tim wanted something like _that_ more than anything.

Yet tonight all he had was himself. He had been lonely for most of his life, but tonight it was unbearable. He found himself moving towards the door before he had decided to do so, knowing he could not take anymore of Dick’s pity and friendship. He was Tim Drake. He needed to be alone. He needed to think. He needed to consider all the contingencies. In total honesty, he needed to make and color coordinate a list or two or fourteen.

Emotional catharsis was all well and good, but he was Tim Drake, and so he needed to _plan._

…

…

…

…

...

Escaping Jason’s safehouse was just as easy as leaving it, although he did end up foregoing his batbike. He was far too drunk to drive, and but not so far gone to forget the consequences of an accident. Yet grappling was by no means the same thing as driving - the only danger was to himself, not to any innocent bystander. So he took to the skies, and never before it felt so much like flying.

If his cheeks were a little cooler and wetter than they should have been from such an excursion, no one knew but him. He let himself in through one of the several escape hatches in his nest, checking the security system out of habit. No attempted entries, and for the first time in his life that was both good and bad. He ran one last check to make sure neither Oracle nor anyone else was watching him before listing a little to the left, taking an extra moment to right himself, and then began to plan. Although his drunken thoughts were beginning to run every which way on him, there was at least one thing he could easily determine.

Point A: things would, from this point on, not be the same. Whether Kon chose Cassie (and the odds were weighing more and more heavily in this option’s favor with every passing moment) or Tim, something would have to change. If he chose Cassie there would be no more stolen interludes; no more breathless afternoons mapping out the contours of his skin; no more hitching whispers in the dark; no more rushed assignations where the payoff more than justified every difficulty getting there. If he was lucky and listened to Dick’s advice there would be friendship and respect, and perhaps (eventually) going back to something like what they had before the night of Stephanie’s birthday. It would never be just the same, of course, but Tim thought that between their stubbornness and their alter egos, they could swing it.

Red Robin and Superboy would demand nothing less.

Tim decided that before he would move on to Point B (whatever it ended up being) he would expound a bit further on the topic. He began drafting a speech that was surprisingly well put together for someone who was seven or eight sheets to the wind. If he dwelled overlong on his own personal merits and the triumph of true love he could perhaps be forgiven, judging by how drunk he was. Yet he was always fair, and his mood took a turn for the worse when he began to plan out what he would say when Kon (inevitably) turned him down. He found it was much, much easier to plan what to say when his feelings were rendered pathetically useless by what he knew without a doubt to be reality.

He was halfway through planning what he’d say to the Teen Titans to explain any lingering depression when the intruder alarm went off. At the exact same time the door flew open, and Tim could only stare in comic amazement. There stood Kon, eyes slowly fading from red to blue and holding Tim’s half melted, now useless doorknob in his hand.

Tim’s surprise was so great he could only stare at him and wonder if he was hallucinating his former lover. If so, would it be cheating if he practiced their potential break up speech? Kon, on the other hand, did not have four to six too many shots of vodka to contend with, and got straight to the point.

“Ok, so the door is my bad and I’ll totally fix it, but we gotta’ talk, man.”

Oh, talking. Yes, that was something Tim understood. But he wasn’t ready! He hadn’t even gotten to Point B! “Not now, Kon. I’m still _practicing._ Also, I’m mad at you. Come back later, please.”

Kon blinked and cocked his head to the side. “Are you…” he glanced up at the skyroof to see the first pale fingers of dawn stretch across the sky before continuing with a distinct incredulous tone to his voice. “Are you day drunk?”

What a silly question. “No, I’m Dick drunk.” Tim thought about this for a moment. “Although Jason’s liquor cabinet helped, I guess.”

Kon seemed to consider this seriously before shaking his head. _“No. No, no, no. Not going down that road, Kon-El,_ ” he muttered angrily to himself. He turned away and shut the door carefully, sticking the door handle back in gingerly. Then he turned his attention back to Tim and adopted his most serious, quintessential Superboy, I’m Here To Save The World and Maybe You Too face. “Tim, I’m serious. I know you’re drunk, but there’s something I gotta’ tell you. Please listen. It’s...it’s not something that can wait any longer.”

Tim’s heart vacillated between soaring hope and searing defeat, and his stomach felt like it might be going along for the ride. Yet he could no longer hide behind his tipsiness so he murmured a quiet command for the apartment to go on lockdown, rendering Kon’s destruction of his door moot for the moment. He’d fix it tomorrow, or next year, or whenever he got around to it. It all depended on what Kon had to say.

Then, because if he was pretending to be the perfect host perhaps he could pretend not to break right in front of his best friend’s eyes, he gestured to the couch. Kon glanced at it for a moment before eyeing Tim speculatively. Then, moving far too quickly for Tim to do anything about it, Kon lunged forward, grabbed Tim, and pulled him back with him onto the couch. By the time Tim had any say in the matter, he was straddling Kon’s hips, hands scrambling for purchase on his shoulders, and looking straight down into Kon’s exotic blue eyes.

“I’m cutting right to the quick, buddy, but I think we need it. If even half of what you just said was true, I’ve only been wasting our time for the last three months. I should have been honest with you from the beginning and then maybe...no, Tim. C’mere, look at me.” Tim had been pulling away, jumping to the worst case scenario before Kon could finish. To still him, Kon laid a bruising kiss on the side of Tim’s neck, higher up than he’d ever been allowed to before.

Tim froze. Was that affection? That...wasn’t according to his plans. At least, not his most logically projected expectation...

“Just let me finish, ok, buddy? Remember back on the roof when I told you about kryptonians? Well, what Clark told me about kryptonians. Well, I didn’t exactly tell you the whole truth. Yeah, we’re naturally bisexual. And we’re pretty compatible with humans, on the most part. But unlike humans, kryptonians can only desire where there’s already...a stronger emotion. Like isn’t determined by desire, with them. With them, desire is always secondary to liking them as an individual, first.

“So when I got with Cassie...I liked her, and then I realized she was pretty smoking hot, too. It wasn’t the other way around. It _can’t_ be the other way around. Do you see what I’m saying?”

Tim nodded mechanically, yet a deeply buried sober fragment of his thought processes began whirring madly. Cassie, after all, hadn’t been the only one Kon was admittedly attracted too…

Kon swallowed, searching Tim’s face for a sign of emotion. Finding none, he continued bravely on. “I may be a little different because I’m half, but not too different, I think. And there’s some similarities between kryptonians and humans, too. Like...the more we like someone, the more we desire them...and for me that means it’s way harder to keep my powers in check…”

He trailed off with a pleading glance at Tim, but Tim was simply not there yet. That single sober neuron was trying valiantly to shout clues across the intoxicated synapses, trying to make him remember all the times Kon had subtly begged off from anything other than kissing and touching and occasionally, oral. Before, he had taken that as a sign of Kon’s nervousness, or even regret that he had entered into the entire arrangement at all. But if that reluctance was tied to the loss of his control…

Kon kept going, in for both penny and pound. “Maybe I should have been more honest about my feelings, but we agreed not to talk about it, so...I didn’t. And maybe I was wrong to act on my feelings for you, but I couldn’t help it. I know you were worried about this fucking up our friendship - I mean, I was too, kinda - so I figured I’d just keep it a secret, you know? It was enough that you were into guys at all and I had even a little chance. I never thought...I mean, of course I _wanted_ you to...feel for me the way I did for you, but I never thought you _would._ So I never said anything, and I should have. I should have every damn day since I came back, Tim. Even before I died, if I had only been brave enough to confess to you first. I certainly wanted to.” He bit his lip at Tim’s lack of response. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

That one working neuron had lit bombs of what might just be joy in his head, and Tim was so close he almost understood. Yet he could be wrong. Had to be wrong. He needed it said explicitly. “Say it now, Kon.”

Kon must have seen the dawning wonder on his face and so took a deep breath and clarified. “I love you, Tim.”

Tim, at the realization of all his sexual and romantic dreams since he had first looked into the boy of steel’s alien blue eyes, found himself uttering the most un-Tim thing he had ever said in his life. “Oh fucking fuck I love you too you neanderthal-”

Obscenities aside, it worked. The boys fell into each other, feeling the dam of their emotions break along with their reserve. They kissed hungrily, sloppily, drunk on a mixture of alcohol, lust, and love that had been far too long in the making. Tim bore down on Kon’s body, feeling every inch of him. Kon was both impossibly powerful and rigid with desire for him. Not believing that he could ever be so lucky, Tim broke away and looked down at his lover.

“How? How could you possibly…?” Tim murmured, before leaning back in to suck his own mark into Kon’s collarbone.

Kon moaned in response. “How the hell _couldn’t_ I love you? You’re so cute and repressed and powerful and smart. Jesus, Tim. Don’t you know what that kind of combination does to me?” His praise made Tim buck against him and drew another strangled groan. “Oh lord love me. Keep doing that. Oh, yes. _Tim.”_

As long as Kon kept saying those wonderful words and others quite like them Tim was never, ever going to stop. Not even if Cassie found out. Or Bruce. Or _Clark._ Realizing that two of those three had the power to actually keep them apart if they were discovered was only a slight damper on his plans. Tim leaned back one more time, disentangling himself from Kon’s kiss with such force he nearly toppled backwards off of Kon’s lap.

“Woah, buddy-”

“Kon. Wait a sec. Kon. Ok. I am...you’ve just made me a very happy man. Know this. But we can’t come out. At least, not yet. You haven’t told anybody, right?”

Kon froze, and smiled up at him with a small wince. “Um. Well. Stephanie.”

Tim’s brain stalled, tied between mind boggling horror that not only did Stephanie know, (and that _she knew he had lied by omission to her)_ and relief that it was someone that he trusted. But then he remembered how Dick now knew, and by extension, Jason. As soon as Cassandra (Cain) knew the whole set would know, except Damian because fuck that and he was only 14.

Tim could handle that. The batfam at large could handle that. He and his extensive blackmail collection would make sure of this. “Ok. I’m confused and how the heck did that conversation even happen? No don't actually tell me now. Later. When I'm sober. But yeah, she’s fine. Dick and probably Jason know too, now. But no more telling. Bats and Clark would still kill us.”

Kon frowned, and Tim leaned in to kiss him, lingeringly and with all the finesse his inebriated self could muster. “We’ll tell them someday. Later. When we’re grown and have a plan. Maybe several plans. And maybe new superhero identities. But we will. I promise, Kon.”

Kon kissed him back, nipping at his lower lip before licking gently at the mark. “I’m not going to give you up, Tim. Not even if Clark tries to make me. Or Batman. Or Ma.” Kon’s eyes narrowed at that last option, perhaps reviewing Ma Kent’s methods of getting teenage boys to do what she wanted them to. “But maybe you’re right. Let’s not tell Ma - err, anyone. Not just yet. We’ll do it when we’re ready.”

Tim’s eyes hooded, a mix of lust and exhaustion. “Yes. Absolutely. Now kiss me stupid, Kon.”

Kon smirked up at him. “Permission to take you to bed, Red Robin?”

Tim cocked his head to the side, glorying in the way Kon’s eyes slipped to his neck. Whenever Kon looked at him like that he felt like the most attractive man alive, and after years of following in Dick Grayson and Jason Todd’s footsteps, a little ego boost was occasionally needed. “Only if you watch my back while we’re there, Superboy.”

Kon’s smile could have lit up the night sky, Tim thought fuzzily. It was so goddamned beautiful. And now, it was all his.

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

…

…

...

If their lives were a romance novel, the climax would have been reached as they settled into bed at 6AM, determined to sleep the day away. Yet they did not have sex that morning. Nor were they able to for quite some time. In that morning’s case, Tim was far too drunk and Kon far too emotional to push for something that powerful. So they simply pressed sweet, drugging kisses into each other’s mouths and skin, lying there side by side and entangled with each other, knowing that the other would be there when they woke up. And when they did, they would no longer be in a nebulous, friends with benefits relationship, but as two young men once hopelessly and now hopefully in love with each other.

For both, it was more than enough.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Props to Celine Dion and “My Heart Will Go On” for Dick’s ringtone. Jason no doubt hates it, which is probably why he did it in the first place. I on the other hand love that woman, and will take no shit about it. She sounds like she is about to fight you all the time and I love it. Love it.
> 
> The adventures will continue in the next and final installment – Culture Shock. It's largely featuring the last batboy standing (yaaaaayyy), but (unlike this one) will have a lot more emphasis on Jay/Dick and Tim/Kon, even though it will all be from the main couple's perspective. It's also the longest so far, and I have several chapters yet to go. Updates will begin shortly, so I hope you stick around for that and enjoy the ending of this strange little saga :)


	4. Epilogue - Extra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extra - Kon and Stephanie have a conversation, and kind of become bros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a heck of a lot funnier in my head, but it's mildly important for the next installment, so here 'tis.

Kon had never spent any time alone with Stephanie Brown before, and now, he understood why. She stood blocking his path from the bunker with her hands on her hips, hair mussed from either fighting or Tim’s roving hands, and the glint of battle was in her eye. Seeing as how he’d already done a sort of battle with one amazon-esque woman of his acquaintance, Kon did not feel so up to doing it again.

Besides, the thought of Tim’s hands on her had his stomach tied up in knots, even when he knew that Tim didn’t like women. Or at least, most women. He and Stephanie had dated before, right? _Buhhhhhh_. And there went his brain.

He tried to crack a smile, but even he knew it was halfhearted at best, and a little crazy at worst. “Hey, Stephanie. So uh, did Tim run off?”

Her scowl was unchanging, and that in itself was kind of impressive. Scary, but impressive. “Are you dating Cass again?”

Blunt, huh? Well two could play at that game. “No.”

That damn scowl. It could take a break any day now. “Why not?”

_Because of Tim and his stupid little smile and the way his eyes light up about the nerdiest things imaginable and his long fingers and his Robin voice -_ “We’re just not good for each other. I told her that. And I haven’t changed my mind about that.”

She nodded slowly, and Kon wondered if it was totally rude to blast off and leave her here. He had to chase down Tim and...and… well lord knew what he was going to do when he found him, but he was going to do something. Something drastic. Hopefully involving Tim’s mouth, his mouth, a flat, horizontal surface, and _not losing control over his goshdarned powers._

“So is there someone else you have in mind?”

Oh lord love him, was she a dog with a bone? Or was she playing the protective friend card? Why was she _still_ scowling? Knowing there was no possible way she could link his feelings to his best friend, he nodded. “Yeah. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to-”

“Is it Tim?”

Kon froze. Just to drag his eyes to hers took a moment. She had asked so nonchalantly, and he had so very nearly replied to her. She watched him with those calculating eyes, and Kon found his throat bobbing. Would it be terrible if he told her? Oh, Tim would kill him, of course. Unless Tim had just told her…and even if he hadn’t, wasn’t Tim going to kill him anyway?

No, no. He should feign ignorance until he knew for sure. “Is it Tim what?”

She scoffed. “You’re either playing dumb, or you think Cassie and Bart can hear through the bunker walls. That’s unlikely if Timmy had any hand in their construction. If it’s the former, stop it. If it’s the latter...we could go on a walk. In the air. You know.” She huffed. “Either way, we’re having this out.”

Kon glanced back, training his own super hearing on the room where he’d left his friends. There were no heartbeats within, and he knew they had both gone their separate ways when Kon had offered to go check on Tim and Steph after breaking Cass’s heart for the second time. Focusing on his more immediate surroundings, he could tell they were as alone here as they would be anywhere else on the edge of Bludhaven. So, sighing, he stepped back, put his hands in his pockets, and stared her down.

Screw Tim and his rampant need for secrets. Kon wasn’t going to lose him over something like this, and if he had to betray Tim’s paranoid leanings to get his best lady friend on his side, then so be it! “So he’s told you then?”

Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Told me what?”

Kon shrugged. “About us.”

“ _What?”_ When women whispered like that, Kon knew that trouble was imminent. Hopefully all this would pay off in the end.

Kon made a little show of rubbing the back of his neck, playing up the Kansas bashful Clark had taught him. “Oh, Tim and his need for secrets...but if _that’s_ a surprise, you do at least know that he likes guys, right?”

The girl looked like she was on the verge of having an apoplexy, and Kon took pity on her. “Oh. So he really hasn’t told you anything, has he?”

“Clearly not enough,” she ground out. “Although that last part I knew. But not that _you_ knew! Or that there was a _you guys._ ”

“Oh, I knew. I was there when he came out. And of course there’s an us. Once again, I was _there_.”

Stephanie’s eyes were now boggling right out of her skull. “You...were... _there?”_ She shook her head and breathed deeply, struggling for calm. “Tell me everything,” she demanded with an imperious tone that yeah, he could totally see Batgirl rocking.

Never one to disappoint a member of the batfam, Kon did.

“ _WHAT THE FUCK?”_ Stephanie’s scream as soon as he reached the part about seducing him on their three month anniversary could have deafened half of Bludhaven, and Kon relied on his super speed to whip her back into the bunker before she tried for the other half. “ _What the hell, Timothy_ _Jackson_ _Drake?”_

At least she wasn’t yelling at _him,_ superspeeding her around and all.“So...he really told you _none_ of that? What the heck did you guys talk about then? You were out there for a good half hour…”

Stephanie paced angrily, every so often whipping her head around to scowl at Kon. He assumed this was because Time was not here for her to scowl at personally. “Not that! He made it seem like his love was unrequited! And it’s not, right? You’re not just fucking with my best friend ‘cuz you think it’s funny or whatever. _Right?”_

Oh, he was so happy that he did not have to lie to this angry, dangerous woman. “No, ma’am. It’s definitely requited. I requite the heck of his feelings. But he uh, he might not actually know that.”

She stilled, and Kon had to remind himself of his superpowers not to simply flee the fuck out of there, right now. “ _You haven’t told him?”_

Ok, now. Fair was fair. “I tried! Believe me, I really did! But he’s so worried that this will destroy us as Red Robin and Superboy that he won’t talk about it at all! And honestly, I’m afraid half the time that he’ll just up and walk away one day. Even knowing _that_ I still try. Pretty much every time we come together I try to tell him. Just not with words, because he can argue with those.” It had been a long day, and he found himself saying something Ma would probably smack him for. “Besides. You _know_. You’re the one other person who knows how hard it can be to talk about feelings with Tim…” He trailed off, wincing. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, sorry. But still. You get me?”

Stephanie watched him for what seemed like friggin’ _ever_ , and Kon was fairly sure he starting fidgeting a bit. Just a bit. What was she, some kind of evil schoolmarm? Clearly she had missed the boat on her superhero persona.

“I think the time has come for words, Kon-El,” Stephanie said slowly, each word pronounced with utmost gravitas. “Words that pierce through Timothy’s dense noggin. Are you ready for this? Are you ready to barrage him with the single most convincing declaration of love any of us have ever known?”

Kon was pretty afraid of Tim’s wrath, but he was starting to realize Stephanie’s was probably worse. He nodded obediently, hoping that he would be allowed to run away soon so that he could go out and fly around and clear his head before finding those vaunted words that would make or break his relationship with Tim.

“Excellent. I’ll even help you out.” Stephanie smirked at him, and it was only then that Kon realized he’d been had. Maybe from the beginning. Was this a part of bat training? Could he somehow sign up for deviousness lessons? “It’s time to practice, Kon. And I shall be your love coach.”

Kon paled. Something told him that he was not going to enjoy the next hour or so of his life...

 

**Author's Note:**

>  
> 
> A big blanket thanks to everyone who has dropped me a line about continuing this series - it took me a month to get my head back into DC, but there's more a coming!


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